China Now Ranks Second in the World in Terms of Nuclear Submarine Fleet Size

China has surpassed Russia to become the world’s second-largest nuclear submarine fleet operator.

This information was reported by Defence Security Asia.

China has thus narrowed the gap with the United States and pushed Russia into third place in this indicator.

According to the publication, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy currently has approximately 32 active nuclear submarines. For comparison, the Russian fleet has only 25-28 submarines in service.

At the same time, the United States remains the undisputed leader, with its Navy having about 71 nuclear submarines in service as of the end of 2025.

As of early 2026, the Chinese fleet will include multi-purpose attack nuclear submarines of the Type 093 and 093A projects. The latest version, Type 093B, is also entering service.

All of them are designed to combat enemy submarines and surface ships with their torpedo and missile weapons.

A distinctive feature of the Type 093B is the presence of 24 vertical launch cells for YJ-12 or YJ-18 anti-ship missiles, as well as six 533-mm torpedo tubes in the bow.

In addition, the PLA Navy has at least nine Type 094 and 094A missile submarines in service. These submarines make up China’s naval nuclear forces. They are armed with JL-2 and JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

China is also developing two next-generation projects. The hull of one Type 095 attack submarine is in the early stages of assembly. The first submarine missile carrier of the new Type 096 project is also under construction.

The publication notes that Russia’s decline to third place in terms of the number of nuclear submarines was not the result of a decline in potential, but rather the combined effect of industrial stagnation, budget constraints, and a shift in strategic focus, which limited the renewal of the fleet and its operational readiness.

In September 2025, it became known that China was testing the world’s largest underwater drones, the size of a conventional submarine.